The association of professional burnout and turnover intentions among intensive care units physicians: A cross-sectional study

Alhenaidi, A., Al-Haqan,, A., Kelendar, H., Al-Bader, B., Alkandari, O. and Al-Zuabi, H. (2023) The association of professional burnout and turnover intentions among intensive care units physicians: A cross-sectional study. INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing, 60, (doi: 10.1177/00469580231206253) (PMID:37877580) (PMCID:PMC10605698) (Early Online Publication)

Abstract

Intensive Care Units (ICU) workers work in highly stressful conditions that make them prone to professional burnout, which can lead to high turnover rates. This study explores professional burnout levels among ICU workers in Kuwait general governmental hospitals (GGHs), their turnover intentions, and the correlation factors. A cross-sectional self-administered survey study was conducted. Professional burnout level was measured using the Copenhagen Burnout Inventory (CBI), while turnover intention was measured using the Turnover Intention Scale (TIS-6). Data were analyzed using STATA software, and descriptive, correlative, and comparative analyses were performed. Eighty-nine ICU physicians filled out the questionnaire. Most of the participants were males, married, non-Kuwaiti nationals, with 10 to 20 years of experience, and the mean age of respondents was 39.2. The total professional burnout score was high was 54.7 (17.6). There were high total average scores for the personal and work-related domains. Participants who were younger than 35 years of age and graduated before 5 to 10 years had higher levels of professional burnout compared to other groups. More than half of the sample expressed their intention to leave their current job as an ICU physician. However, no association was found between turnover intentions and levels of burnout. High levels of professional burnout of turnover intentions were seen among ICU physicians in Kuwait. Policies should be adopted to reduce and mitigate professional burnout among ICU physicians and increase their retention. Future research should further investigate professional burnout among ICU staff, the associated factors, and its relation to their turnover intention.

• Item Type: Articles
• Keywords: Intensive care units, physicians, professional burnout, turnover intentions, Kuwait.
• Status: Early Online Publication
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: Alhenaidi, Dr Abdulaziz

Creator Roles

Alhenaidi, A.: Conceptualization, Methodology, Writing – original draft

• Authors: Alhenaidi, A., Al-Haqan,, A., Kelendar, H., Al-Bader, B., Alkandari, O., and Al-Zuabi, H.
• College/School: College of Medical Veterinary and Life Sciences > School of Health & Wellbeing > General Practice and Primary Care
• Journal Name: INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing
• Publisher: SAGE Publications
• ISSN: 1945-7243
• ISSN (Online): 1945-7243
• Published Online: 01 January 2023
• Copyright Holders: Copyright: © The Author(s) 2023
• First Published: First published in INQUIRY: The Journal of Health Care Organization, Provision, and Financing 2023
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons licence